GREEN SHEET DRAFT: January 4, 2017 12:22 PM
KHI.ORG Informing Policy. Improving Health.
2017 KANSAS LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW Anticipating key health policy themes
Introduction Democrats. Forty-six of the representatives are new for 2017, but six of them have previously served The 2017 legislative session will mark the in the House. (These numbers include the recent first year of a two-year cycle. While issues announcement of Rep. Marvin Kleeb’s retirement on from previous sessions—such as the status Jan. 10 and the election of his successor, Abraham of the state’s psychiatric hospitals, Medicaid Rafie.) ISSUE BRIEF expansion and medical marijuana—will likely resurface, all will be in the form of new bills. KanCare Dozens of new faces in the Capitol also mean the Legislature itself will have a new During the 2017 session, legislators will have the character. opportunity to debate and respond to a number of issues related to the current and future operation of As a result of the general election in the Kansas Medicaid program, known as KanCare. November 2016, the Kansas Senate has gone from 32 Republicans and eight Democrats to 31 Republicans and nine KanCare 2.0 Democrats. Fourteen of the senators Although the initial three-year term of state contracts are new, although five of them were in for the three KanCare managed care organizations the Kansas House in 2016. The Kansas (MCOs) ended December 31, 2015, the MCOs have House went from 97 Republicans and continued to operate under an optional two-year 28 Democrats to 85 Republicans and 40 extension of the original term of their contracts.
SENATE 4 116 13 R Kansas Kansas 2017 18 R 8 D 1 D NEW NEW Democratic Republican Lawma ers Lawma ers
TOTAL JANUARY 2016 32 R 8 D
HOUSE
31 R 15 D 54 R 25 D 2017 NEW NEW
2016 97 R 28 D
0 30 60 90 120 150
2017 KHI/17-02 It was anticipated that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment KanCare Performance (KDHE) would issue a new request for proposals (RFP) before the end of In fiscal year (FY) 2016, Medicaid 2016 to select the MCOs that would be operating KanCare beginning on and the Children’s Health January 1, 2018. However, on November 18, 2016—during a meeting of the Insurance Program (CHIP) Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based covered a monthly average Services and the KanCare Oversight Committee—KDHE officials announced of about 426,000 people at that the renewal process for KanCare was being placed on hold and the RFP an annual cost of almost $3.4 was “delayed indefinitely.” On December 16, 2016, Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer billion to the state. In Kansas, announced that the state had renewed the existing MCO contracts and 25.1 percent of all Medicaid and would not request new bids until late 2017. Colyer also stated these changes CHIP enrollees are seniors or were the result of uncertainty regarding what the election of Donald Trump people with disabilities, but this combined population incurs 70 as president and Republican control of Congress might mean for state percent of total state spending Medicaid programs. for these programs. Children and families, including children in CHIP, account for approximately 75 percent of Medicaid and Kansas Senate 2017 Leadership CHIP enrollees and incur 30 percent of state spending. In FY 2016, annual Medicaid and CHIP Majority President Minority Leader spending averaged $2,925 per (Republicans) (Democrats) Susan Wagle Anthony Hensley pregnant woman, child or family member, compared to $23,863 per enrollee with a disability and ice President: Jeff Longbine Assistant Leader: Laura Kelly $15,540 per senior enrollee.
Majority Leader: Jim Denning hip: Oletha Faust-Goudeau During the November 2016 KanCare Oversight Committee Assistant Leader: Vicki Schmidt Agenda Chair: Marci Francisco meeting, legislators heard from a number of KanCare beneficiaries and providers regarding concerns hip: Elaine Bowers Caucus Chair: Tom Hawk about the administration of benefits and the timing and processing of provider Kansas House 2017 Leadership reimbursements. They also heard from a representative of Leavitt Partners, a health policy Majority Spea er of the Minority Leader consulting firm engaged by the House (Republicans) (Democrats) Kansas Hospital Association, Ron Ryckman, Jr. Jim Ward the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved, and Spea er Pro Tem: Scott Schwab Assistant Leader: Stan Frownfelter the Kansas Medical Society, to conduct an assessment and Majority Leader: Don Hineman hip: Ed Trimmer analysis of KanCare. The firm concluded the program had “not Assistant Leader: Tom Phillips Caucus Chair: Barbara Ballard met its original rationale and commitments.”